As you dream about your perfect landscaping, do you imagine water? The trickle of a creek, the splash of fountain, or simply the placid mirror of a tranquil pond?

Bringing water into the landscape is a beautiful way to enhance your garden. Water’s ever-changing qualities are a visual delight, and the sound of moving water is innately relaxing, and can mask a nearby street or highway.

Moving water also generates airborne negative ions, which some call “nature’s antidepressant.” Negative ions are the reason that it simply feels good to sit by a flowing stream or stroll through a nursery where the sprinklers have been showering the plants.

Hike to the base of a waterfall, and you’re awash in a shimmering mist of water, along with a big dose of negative ions. Have you noticed how good it feels there?

Water features also invite wildlife into your space, ranging from dragonflies to deer. The flicker of koi or goldfish in a pond offers a gentle reflection of nature, as does the evening call of frogs.

If you’d like to consider incorporating water into your landscaping, here are some ideas.